To make a shell that is thin, it is known that a mold in the shape of a curved receptacle can be used with the inside face thereof being covered in a paste such as pastry, dough, or the like which is spread by hand so as to achieve substantially uniform thickness, and the assembly then being allowed to cook. Depending on circumstances, various solid elements are then applied to the outside face of the paste (fruit stones, dried vegetables, grains of rice) to prevent the paste from rising while it is being cooked. Nevertheless, that is very much a hand-craft technique, and completely incompatible with industrial scale operation.
Also, if it is desired to make a shell with a central opening, it is then necessary to shape the shell by hand after it has been cooked, with the risk of the cooked paste crumbling around the edges of the opening. Such a shell with a central opening is particularly advantageous, for example, when it is desired to make a food article, in particular a preparation in the form of a dome having a light source such as a candle located inside it.